How do I paint white on Warhammer models without it going chalky?
White goes chalky when you use it as the base colour: it covers poorly and shows every uneven coat. Spray a pale undercoat (White Scar, Grey Seer or Wraithbone), shade it for depth, and keep the lightest paint for the edges. For armour, there is a Contrast recipe that shades as it goes on.
Why white misbehaves
Josh Hill, known as the Warhipster, makes Contrast guides on YouTube and was interviewed by Warhammer Community, Games Workshop's news site. He counts white among the infamously tricky colours, next to yellow. Games Workshop's painting team treat Corax White, a Base paint, as an off-white. When they teach eyes, they list Celestra Grey, Grey Seer and Corax White as the off-whites that keep eyes from looking too bright. White covers poorly, so painting a whole helmet with Corax White from the pot, as a base, invites a patchy finish.
The off-white route in four steps
- Undercoat with White Scar for a bright white, Wraithbone for a warm one, or Grey Seer for a cool one.
- Shade it. Warhammer Community names Apothecary White and Gryph-Charger Grey, both Contrast paints, as two blue-hued ways to shade white.
- Edge highlight with Corax White and Ulthuan Grey.
- Keep the brightest white for tiny dots on the sharpest corners.
If you must paint white itself, thin it and build it in several light coats, letting each one dry. One heavy coat is what goes chalky and shows the brush.
The Contrast recipe for white armour
Vincent Knotley, who paints a lot of white armour, shares a mix that shades as it goes on. Mix it on a palette and apply it over a pale undercoat.
| Ingredient | Parts |
|---|---|
| Contrast Medium | 4 |
| Apothecary White (Contrast) | 3 |
| Gryph-Charger Grey (Contrast) | 1 |
That gives white armour with a light blue shade, without hours of recess shading. The Contrast mix suits textured armour better than a big flat plate.
White details: teeth, claws and eyes
Knotley's tip for small white parts is a coat of Corax White, then Black Templar mixed with Contrast Medium over the top. He says that makes painting teeth, claws and even eyes easy. Our page on eyes and faces covers painting eyes step by step.
Common questions
Why does my white paint look chalky?
White covers poorly and dries chalky when it goes on thick as a base coat. Start from an off-white undercoat, thin the white, and use it in light coats or only on edges.
Is Corax White actually white?
It is a Base paint, and Games Workshop's painters treat it as an off-white for jobs like eyes. For brighter whites, spray White Scar, or keep Corax White for the first edge highlights.
Can I paint white over a dark undercoat?
The first few coats will look poor, and it takes many thin ones to build the white. A pale undercoat saves most of that work.
White armour and details: Warhammer Community, 4 February 2025. Tricky colours: Warhammer Community, 11 February 2025. Off-whites for eyes: Warhammer Community, 30 November 2022. Shading white: Warhammer Community, 8 July 2022. Undercoat sprays: Warhammer Community, 14 July 2023 and 13 June 2022. Paint types in the 10th Edition Paints + Tools set: this shop's listing. Prices and stock: this shop, read live. The thin-coat advice for white paint is our own.